


Safe

by whoopsydaisie



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Credence Barebone Deserves Better, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mary Lou Barebone is Her Own Warning, Past Child Abuse, maybe sometimes, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-19 00:19:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10628232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoopsydaisie/pseuds/whoopsydaisie
Summary: Credence didn't know the meaning of "safe".





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A lil fix it.

" _Safe_."

Credence didn't understand this concept.  He didn't understand it when Mr. Graves had said it and he still didn't understand it as Newt walked carefully in front of him.  There was darkness and pain and Credence didn't understand what was going on as a black substance started to slowly stop swirling around him.  Credence never much understood anything.

' _Stupid boy!  Can't even get this single, simple thing right.  You don't understand, Credence. I'm doing this for your own good."_

Credence held his hands up to his ears to block her voice.  "Please, Ma...no more," he mumbled.  The substance was swirling around him again and he just didn't understand what was going on.  

Credence understood a few things, though.  He understood that he was an abomination.  He understood that he was made only to serve and never take.  He understood that he was supposed to obey his mother.  He understood his place in the world.  Credence understood.  

"Credence, I'm coming over there now, is that okay?"

Credence's head shot up.  He had no right to tell Newt that no, he didn't want anywhere near him ever again, so he nodded lightly.  Credence looked up at the space between Newt's nose and mouth to see Newt's lips turned down in worry or anger.  Well, more likely anger because Credence didn't deserve anyone who worried about him.  He started to undo his belt with shaking fingers and when he had finally got it off of his pants, Newt was standing in front of him.  He held it out.

"Credence?" Newt questioned, crouching down.

Credence could feel his hand shaking and his eyes burning, but he held the belt out steadfastly.  "I-I'm sorry," he whispered.  A warm hand grabbed the belt and Credence kept his hand open for punishment.  He clenched his eyes shut and tried his best to hold his hand still.

"Oh, Credence," Newt murmured.  "I'm not going to punish you.  Here."

Credence was holding his elbow with his other hand to try and make his hand not move so much.  Ma hated it when he moved during punishment - she always added more strikes for disobedience because she had asked him to hold still and he simply couldn't.  Finally, something made contact with his outstretched hand.  He flinched away involuntarily and ended up accidentally looking directly into Newt's eyes to see if he was angry.

' _What have I told you, boy?  What gives you the right to look into a good person's eyes?  You, a spoiled, ugly, evil thing, shouldn't be looking into the eyes of a pure, untainted person.  That just earned you ten more.'_

Newt had backed away from him and Credence thought he had finally figured out that he was an evil thing, not even worthy of correction.  "S-sorry, sir.  I-I'll hold s-still," he said while hunching his shoulders more so than usual.  He vaguely noticed the blackness had started swirling around him again.  He heard Newt sigh and he knew he had finally pushed Newt too far.  Newt would punish him more severely than if Credence had just held still in the first place.  Credence knew he deserved it, though, so he didn't complain when Newt advanced towards him again.

"Credence, I need you to calm down," Newt ordered in a soft voice.  Credence hadn't even noticed the hot tears racing down his face.  "It's just you and I.  I won't punish you, I would just like you to breathe a bit for me."

"Y-yes, s-sir," Credence gasped, suddenly noticing his lack of oxygen.  He felt weight against his side and tried to take deep breaths like Newt had asked.

"Better, better," Newt calmly commented while shifting Credence so he was leaning on him.  Newt placed his hand on the side of Credence's head and pulled it gently down to rest on his shoulder.  "There we go, much better.  Do you feel okay?"

Credence had been able to successfully fix his air supply but had only been able to make out Newt's last question.  He nodded, noticing the soft material his head was resting on.  He involuntarily leaned more towards it, breathing in the scent of tea, dirt, and flowers. 

"Credence, you're safe now."

Credence jolted.  What was that supposed to mean?

"I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise.  You won't be punished anymore. You can stay with me for as long as you like.  You'll be okay.  I've got you, I've got you." 

At some point Newt had began petting his hair.  Credence had leaned into the touch because at this point, he figured Newt wouldn't be angry.  Newt hummed lightly and Credence closed his eyes.  He was still trembling and terrified, but he didn't have the energy to act on it.  Instead, he turned his head so his face was more buried in Newt's neck and he cried.  He didn't understand what was going on.  He didn't understand why Newt was holding him.  He didn't understand why the blackness kept going in and out.  He didn't understand what he was supposed to do now.

"It'll be okay, so long as I'm here.  Don't be afraid, darling, I am near.  Soon, everything will be alright.  I'll bring the Sun when you're surrounded by night..."

At some point Newt had moved from humming to singing.  Credence found himself falling asleep and quickly shook himself.  Ma always said that being lazy was a sin, and it wasn't time for him to go to bed just yet, so falling asleep was not an option.  Or maybe is was time for him to go to bed...he hadn't been out of the tunnel in a while, so he had no idea what the time was.  Ma never wanted him up past his bed time, so he would be disobeying her if he was still awake and it was past nine.  He started to stand up so he could go outside, and he noticed Newt stood up with him.

"Credence?" he questioned softly.

"I have to-that is, time.  The time.  M-Ma wouldn't want me u-up late, a-and it would be a-a sin to disobey her," he said while walking towards the exit.  Newt followed behind him a few steps and Credence felt like he was being watched.  "S-sorry for inconveniencing you, Sir.  I'm g-going home now, I-I'm sorry," he apologized while stumbling further to the door.  His foot caught on a train track and he felt himself flying towards the ground.  His fall was stopped by a warm hand grabbing his shoulder.  Credence turned around to thank Newt for catching him but instead found himself being pulled into a hug which he immediately leaned in to.

"Credence, you don't have to go..." Newt paused like he was searching for words.  "You don't ever have to go back there again.  You can come stay with me."

"B-but Ma s-said-"

"It's okay.  It's okay, you can go with me."

"But I should ask-"

"I already made sure.  It's alright to come stay with me," Newt said gently while holding Credence's head against his shoulder.  Credence nodded and melted into the touch.  Newt was rubbing his hand up and down his back while saying comforting things that Credence didn't understand fully, but was willing to accept. 

 Credence didn't understand what "safe" meant, but he knew what to associate it with.  He associated it with patience, gentle voices, soft touches, no punishment, and soft fabrics.  Credence didn't know the dictionary definition of "safe", but Newt was his personal definition.


	2. Sweets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Credence had never tasted something so sweet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I made another part! Amazing. Thanks to everyone who commented and left kudos!
> 
> (I feel like I should clarify in case this sounds inconsistent - Credence does see Newt as safe, however, he's not going to be completely comfortable and trusting just because of that one instance in the first chapter. Does he trust Newt more than pretty much everyone else? Yes. Does this mean he isn't still scared of him? No. It's not that simple.)

Newt looked anxious. Credence regarded him warily as Newt searched through cabinet after cabinet, searching for something. Credence knew that he had been difficult a few minutes ago. Newt had tried to get him into his suitcase - a  _suitcase_! - and Credence had panicked. He knew magic was evil and he also knew that a case being bigger on the inside was certainly thanks to magic. He had tried jerking out of Newt's grasp and when that hadn't worked, he saw the blackness start to surround him once again and that had ended with Newt letting go of his arm and backing away. Newt had tried to calm him and luckily for them both, it worked. However, after Credence had calmed down, Newt had promptly grabbed his arm once more and pulled him into the case with him.  Credence didn't have an option in going in this time.  

Newt was anxious, and Credence knew it was his fault.  

"Damn thing, never turning up when I need it to," Newt muttered and his went through the last cabinet.  "A-ha!  Here it is!" he declared triumphantly while holding up a book.  Credence glanced at it quickly and then looked back at his feet.  His heart was pounding and he could practically hear his own blood flowing.  "C'mon, Credence, we're going to have some fun."

"W-what?"

Newt grinned at him and tapped the book.  "Baking," he replied.  Newt bit down on his lip but the smile never left his face.  "We're going to bake, you and I.  It's going to taste delicious and look atrocious; here."

An apron was handed to him and Credence stared at it in confusion.  He didn't understand what was going on.  He thought that maybe Newt wanted to figure out what was wrong with him or maybe lock him in a room somewhere isolated, but here he was, wanting to bake.  Newt himself was confusing.  Credence didn't understand how he went from anxious to totally confident and sure of himself so quickly, and he wasn't going to lie, it scared him.  He was used to mood swings from his ma and could usually figure out when they  would happen, but Newt was a different person entirely and Credence had never even seen him when he was angry.  What if Newt would beat him like Ma did?  What if Newt was one of those people who pretended to not be angry but then lashed out when you least expected it?  What if-

"Credence, are you alright?" Newt was bending down slightly to make eye contact with him.  

"Y-yes.  Just thinking," Credence replied while averting his eyes.

"Oh, alright.  Well, what do you say?  Want to bake with me?" Newt held out a wooden spoon and Credence flinched back.  "You don't have to, though.  It's alright if you'd rather watch - I won't be angry," Newt assured him softly.

"N-no, I'll help."

"Great!  Well, you'll need one of these to protect your clothing," Newt said while taking the apron out of Credence's hands and tying it around him.  "You'll need some of these," he bent down and handed Credence a ring of measuring spoons, "and, of course, one of these!" Newt declared while pulling out two metal bowls and placing them on both of their heads.  "Helmets because I'm terrible at this and accidents are bound to happen."

Credence felt his mouth twitch upwards slightly and Newt's grin seemed to widen at that.  Newt pulled both bowls off their heads and set them on the counter. Newt grabbed the book - a hand made cookbook - and flipped it open to a random page.  Dark brown cookies were featured on the page along with some swirly, girlish handwriting that explained how the recipe worked.

"Queenie gave it to me," Newt explained.  "She's really good at baking so hopefully her recipe will make up for my food-making ineptness."

Credence nodded and glanced down at the recipe.  It was a recipe for molasses cookies, and Credence didn't know what molasses was, but he did know what cookies were.  He also knew that he was never allowed to have them because that would be encouraging gluttony and extravagant and unnecessary spending.  He gulped and looked at Newt out of the corner of his eye.  

"What is it?" Newt asked gently.

"I-it's just - why are - I don't know," Credence buried his face in his hands and felt his eyes welling up.  He willed himself to stop crying.  There was nothing to cry about - Newt was here and he was being kind and Credence knew he just wanted him to feel comfortable and Newt was going to all this effort and honestly, couldn't Credence just be grateful for once?  Why did he have to overthink and make everything such a big deal and why was he so dramatic and why couldn't he just do the right thing?  

Credence felt arms encompass him and he instinctively leaned his head onto Newt's shoulder.  "'M sorry," he mumbled into the soft fabric of Newt's vest.

"It's alright, Credence.  I'm sorry, I probably overwhelmed you, I wasn't thinking."

"N-no, it's fine, I'm fine," Credence sniffed and moved his head so he was standing up. He felt Newt's arms leave and he ignored the part of him that begged for the warmth to come back. 

"Alright," Newt looked hesitant and searched Credence's face for a few moments before finding something to his satisfaction and straightening back up to his full height.  "Do you want to measure or stir?"

"What?"

"Well, one of us has to do one of them, so I'm letting you have first pick."  Credence didn't respond.  "Alright, I can stir and you can measure.  Just follow this recipe and put the stuff in the bowl and I'll take care of the rest, okay?"

Credence nodded.  He could do this; he wouldn't let Newt down.  He looked at the recipe and read the first ingredient.  "W-where's the flour?" he asked quietly.

"Oh!  Right!  Here, wait just a tic," Newt said as he pulled out his wand and made all the ingredients march out of the cupboards and onto the counter.

Credence backed away from the counter and breathed heavily.  Why was Newt using his magic like this?  Wasn't he supposed to use it for more sinister things?

"Sorry, I forgot," Newt interrupted his line of thinking before he could get too detailed.  "Anyway, here's all the ingredients.  Be careful with the molasses, though.  It's awfully sticky and I don't know about you, but I always end up getting it in my hair and that stuff is impossible to wash out."

Credence ran a hand through his hair self consciously and looked back down to the book.  His hand was shaking but he managed to get all the ingredients in the bowls without spilling any.  At some point Newt had gotten flour all over his forehead from stirring too vigorously.  Newt was twirling the ingredients together with concentration until the dough became a dark, sticky mixture.  

"Credence, smell this," Newt stuck his tongue out the corner of his mouth and held the bowl up to Credence's nose slowly.  Credence took a whiff and found that it smelled good - really good.  "I'll put them on a sheet and it'll be done in about ten minutes, okay?  I'll make some tea in the meantime."

Credence nodded and backed into a corner so Newt could gain access to the stove.  Newt took one more whiff of the cookies before shoving them in the oven, grinning in satisfaction.  "What kind of tea would you like, Credence?"

"Um, I don't know."

"That's alright.  Call me unoriginal, but I really like Earl Grey, personally.  You like that one?" Newt turned to look at him.

Credence honestly had no idea.  He was only allowed tea on very special occasions and he had no clue what type he was drinking when he did have it.  "I don't know...probably?" Credence guessed.  Newt's smile seemed to falter before it returned to its' original position.

"Well, I'll just make you the same, then," he answered.

Credence watched as Newt hummed lightly and heated the water.  Credence noticed the water came to a boil fairly quickly, but he wasn't sure if it was because of the magic or not, so he said nothing.  Newt steeped the tea bags and pulled out two chairs for him and Credence.  He sat them in front of the stove and gestured for Credence to come sit with him.  Credence slowly walked over and sat next to him without looking up.

"I like sitting in front of the oven when I'm baking.  See, you barely notice the progress of the dough browning until suddenly it's done.  It's like you know it's happening even if it isn't completely apparent.  There's still progress slowly being made," Newt explained while looking at Credence in the corner of his eye.  

Credence was pretty sure he understood what Newt was getting at, but he chose not to comment.  They both stared at the oven in companionable silence until a ding sounded and Newt's eyes lit up.  "The cookies are done!" he exclaimed excitedly.

If Credence thought the dough smelled good in the bowl, that was nothing compared to the smell that erupted in the room when Newt opened the oven.  Sweet and sugary smells assaulted Credence's nose and he found himself closing his eyes to take it in.  If warmth had a smell, Credence was sure this was it.  

A scraping sound broke through Credence's thoughts and he looked to see Newt scraping the cookies off of the pan.  "I really should buy better non-stick pans.  Maybe there's a spell for this," Newt muttered.  "Oh, hello, Alice!"

A small red bird appeared in the window.  It had dainty wings and a tail that was less feathers, more bone like a cat.  Credence was sure he had never seen this type of bird before.  It let out a high-pitched chirp as it landed on Newt's shoulder.  The bird - Alice - loomed over his shoulder and eyed the cookies.  Newt laughed and broke off a piece, handing it to Alice.  Alice chirped one more time and flew away.

"She likes sweets and she always seems to know when I'm making them.  When that happens, I can't keep her out," Newt smiled and let out an exasperated sigh.  "Well, here we go.  Our beautiful creations!"

Credence was handed a lumpy but still delicious looking cookie and watched as Newt bit into a similar one.  He let out a delighted moan, savoring it before looking up at Credence.  He raised his eyebrows as if to say, "well?".  Credence tried searching his face to see if this was a trick or a trap before biting into it.

He had never tasted something so delicious.  The cookie had a perfect texture and the sweet spices assaulted Credence's mouth in the best way.  He found himself smiling with no control as he ate the cookie carefully and slowly.  By the time he had finished it, he realized Newt had been watching him with a fond smile.

"Liked it?"

Credence nodded.  "I've never had a cookie before, but I'm sure this is the best one in existence," he answered with a grin that he had no control over.

Newt frowned a bit before smiling softly and pulling Credence into a hug.  "I'm glad you liked it.  I doubt it's the best, though," he pulled away and looked behind Credence.  "I think you'll find Jacob makes much better pastries than the rest of the world.  It's a miracle these turned out well - I'm sure it's only because you helped me.  Want another one?"

Credence looked up at Newt, meeting his eyes for just a second.  "Yes, please." 

 

 

 


	3. Sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tina! I love her! She's here! Thank God!  
> I ran across a little shop today that was full of European food and merchandise for Doctor Who which really got me in the mood for Fantastic Beasts for some reason, so here we are.  
> (Also, guess who got the screenplay! It's so pretty and I feel like I understand the characters much better after reading it.)

"You're tired, I suppose?"

"Huh?"

"Sleep, I think you need some."

"Oh."

Newt studied Credence carefully, trying to read his face.  After they had finished their cookies, Credence had grown more quiet and withdrawn than normal.  Newt guessed that Credence was exhausted after all he went through. 

"Are...you going to sleep?"

"Would you like me to, sir?" Credence asked carefully.

Newt considered himself a patient man most of the time.  He had to be for the sake of his animals.  However, trying to get a straight answer out of the terrified man in front of him was starting to grate on his nerves more than he would be willing to admit.

"Credence, if you want to sleep, you can go sleep.  There's a bed in that room and you can certainly use it if you have the need."

"Would...that be more convenient for you, sir?" Before Newt could answer, Credence's eyes widened like he had realized something.  With a mumbled "oh" he nodded and walked to the other room, shoulders hunched protectively.  He didn't like people being behind him because he couldn't see what their next move was. 

_"Credence, do you always have to be in other peoples' way?  You useless boy.  Why can't you think about someone other than yourself for once?  You'll not be given dinner tonight, instead, you'll spend that time thinking about what you've done."_

Newt watched a tremor run through Credence's body as he ducked into the other room and gently shut the door.  He let out a long sigh and glanced down at Pickett who had jumped to his shoulder at some point.  He rubbed a hand over his face and leaned down on his knees.

"I have no idea what I'm doing."

Pickett seemed to sympathize as he crawled back into Newt's pocket.  There was nothing left to do other than wait for Credence to awaken and decide his next step.  Newt knew that he had taken on a project that was a bit too large, but he also knew that he could probably use the challenge.  He had no idea how to separate the Obscurus from Credence, only knowing the methods he used on the little girl which hadn't worked to plan.  He wondered if Credence even wanted to be separate from it.  Credence couldn't go on like this, especially if MACUSA found out - they would both be hunted men.  Biting down on his lip and looking towards the roof, Newt felt his brain go blank for a few minutes.  He heard Pickett snoring and absently wondered if Credence snored, too.

There was a knocking at the case and Newt glanced to the ladder to see Tina peek down from the top.

"Hey," she greeted.

Newt nodded towards her in acknowledgement and she took this as an invitation to come down.  Her boots caught on the last bar and she half tripped down the ladder, but still managed to shrug it off like nothing happened.

"You found Credence?"

A nod.

"Where is he?"

"He's sleeping."

Tina raised an eyebrow and looked to the room where Credence was.  "How's he doing?  Is he okay?"

"He's unharmed from the attack, Tina.  I think-no, I know he's scared, though.  I don't really know quite what to do with him."

There was a silent beat before Tina took a few steps towards the door.

"What are you doing?" Newt stood up and walked closer to the door protectively.

"I was going to check on him," Tina answered softly.

"Why?  He's sleeping, I don't want him to wake up.  He-he deserves some rest," Newt protested while holding a hand up against the door.

"I won't wake him up," Tina appeased gently.  She pulled his hand off the door and held a finger to her lips.  Cracking open the door she found Credence lying on his side, curled, with his hands pulled around his head as though he was covering his ears.  Taking a step further into the room, Tina realized Credence's eyes were squeezed shut like he was trying to keep himself from seeing a bad thing.  She pointed and turned around to Newt who had followed her in.

"Is he having a nightmare?" Newt asked with concern.  He walked to the edge of the bed as quietly as possible and knelt down.

"I don't think so."

Newt put a gentle hand on Credence's hair and watched in shock as the boy's eye's snapped open and he flinched back automatically. 

"You were never asleep," Newt murmured.  "It's okay, Credence, it's just me and Tina."

Credence breathed harshly through his nose and looked up towards Tina.  Newt watched Credence's eyes soften and his posture relax as he reached a hesitant hand out before drawing it back to his lap.  Credence stared at the side of her jacket as she walked slowly to him and sat next to him on the bed.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," came the soft reply.

Tina felt her eyes water as she leaned towards him.  Newt straightened up, ready to protest against Tina scaring him even more.  Tina held up a hand while Newt held his tongue.

Credence felt warm, gentle arms draw him into an embrace.  He could smell Tina's shampoo and the scent of her peach perfume.  He closed his eyes and tried to make himself stop shaking as Tina ran a hand through his hair and sniffled lightly.  He had made her cry and he was ready to apologize.

"I-I'm sorry-"

Tina had leaned down to look directly into his eyes and Credence found his wasn't able to speak.  She cupped his face and smiled a watery smile.

"I'm so glad you're alive."


End file.
